the Judge, the Soldier, and the Red String in Between
by faildentist
Summary: How does it feel to fall in love? How does it feel to be actualy respected? Kanon and Ami are going to seek those answers, while their taboo, yet unrevealed feelings towards eachother are at on, and burning them into ashes. But will they survive the light and bring hope into their lives?


"At dawn, the victory march of the Kuromorimine Senshado Team shines orange into my eyes. Their victory over St. Gloriana today was splendid and clean, all the way from start to end as a fair and square match. Kuromorimine has once again patch over their reign among the Senshado school.

In my opinion, they are a well regulated school and they follow all of the rules of Official Senshado. Yes, their matches are always squeaky clean. Hm?... Why would I give opinion to such thing? Of course, because I am a Judge of almost every match in Senshado.

I am, Kanon Sasagawa, a judge (or referee) that assure justice and fair being are standing on top of Senshado. I have witness all kinds of heresy that been done in Senshado. For professional issues, I may not talk about it more further. Hm?.. Why am I keeping it a secret? Because I am the most professional Judge to imagine in the Senshado indus-..."

"Stop stop!..." Remi told me. "...you're too long talking about serious thing. And what's with that 'why you ask me' attitude? No one cares about judges or referee you know." Remi continued while she drink a shot of sake.

"You're too serious Kanon-chan, you can't get a guy in the up coming dating group next week." Hibiki added, stabbed me right in the ribs.

"Well I don't know what to talk about!! You think I wanted to do thi job?! And what the hell did you say Remi? You're also a judge like both me and Hibiki, why are you underestimating your job?!" I shouted in the night bar, echoed the ally with my voice.

"Ok, ok, sorry~ Ehehe... Here have some more booze." Remi said and gave me another shot of sake.

*slurrp* *sigh*...

"From all matches, we have ourselves in great danger. With all the shells flying in our direction. And building structures almost fall onto us. But none... Just none... None of romance interaction..." We three leave a big sigh by what I've just said.

"We don't have any much guys in our work place huh..." Hibiki said.

"Even the mechanics are mostly womans. What a brag, what a brag~." Remi added.

I can only rest my head on the counter table, and ask for more booze for tonight. I can't imagine myself to enter that group date by this attitude. I can't... I just can't...

I open my eyes in the hotel room at Kumamoto. I think I was brought here after I pass out last night at the night bar. I sat down on the futon, and see both Remi and Hibiki hug eachother in an almost stripped cloths. I'm not sure what they've did last night, but I'll just skip that part for now.

I stood and go to the bathroom, wash my face and gain consciousness after a drunk night sleep. I look at myself in the mirror, and I look hideous. Wrinkling my hair, I wish I have it beautiful and a beautiful look. I wish I can have someone that would fell for me immediately right after we met. But who am I... Just a minor character by default. I have no influence what so ever. I'm just... A judge.

I grab my glasses, wear my jacket and walk out the hotel room. Gee, it's cold here. I check my phone; has no notification; and the time shows 4.34 AM. I walk down the stairs to the lobby. No one was there as the sun hasn't rise yet. So much for a 3 star hotel.

I proceed to walk outside and further to the nearby park. The sky is still foggy. I can't see very well even with my glasses. *yawn* Why am I here in the first place? Not like the usual me that would sleep until it's noon. I'm here, strolling before the sun wakes up at the park.

I feel like I don't want to do anything when I want to do something, I feel like I don't want to feel anything when I want to feel. It's like I'm here because I don't want to. I feel empty. I feel lonely.

I'm here for no reason, but I'm also here for a reason. This sounds naive, but I'm believing in faith, but in the same time, I don't believe it. I distrust the future while still living in it. I distrust my desicion in this life, but this is where I am standing. This is where I prevail.

"Sigh..." I sit down on a bench next to a vending machine. I look up in the skies, feeling my exhausted legs after walking in nowhere in the park. I sit there in silence. I sit there as the future closing in to me. The past just keeps on getting away from me. In someday I'd just do the same like now, realizes that this is the pathway I chose, not I wanted. Reality hasn't been kind to me.

I stand up and get in front of the vending machine. Feels cold here, maybe a warm can of red bean soup will be nice. It's priced 200 Yens. I smug in relief, I can afford it. I check in my pockets, but no change I found. As spoken, reality, hasn't been kind to me. Or maybe it's just my clumsiness.

"Sigh..." again. "Oyy!" What-... Who's that?

"Oyy!" A figure, a tall figure, comes closer to me, wearing a hoody covering it's face. Who is it? Someone I know? Remi? Hibiki? No they still at the hotel. So who...

"Thank you for your hard work..." the voice of a woman came from her. She opens her hoody, and there she is, the legendary instructure from the Nishizumi-style, and now serve as a defender in the JSDF, she is...

"Hey, don't you recognize me? Maybe you thought it was somebody, but It's me, Chouno!" Ami Chouno said. She is also a fellow judge in senshado matches. Achieved everything in life by Senshado, she is truly a particular lucky someone that gain benefits from Senshado. I, envy her.

"Buying something?" She asked in an exhausted manner. She puts a coin in and recieved a bottle of mineral water.

I stood a bit away from her. "N-no... I have no change."

"Hm? Why don't you say it earlier?!" She throws two 100 yens coins to my hand. "T-thanks..." I then buy that can of red bean soup.

She sits down, opens the zipper of her jacket. Leans on the bench like a total chad. Being that tomboy but sexy in the same time, no wonder a lot are interested to her. I wonder howmany mens have stand in lines just to get her.

*gulp* *gulp* *gulp* "Ahhhh!!! A bottle of water is always refreshing after a morning jog, no?"

Why, just why...

"Come'ere! Why are you hesitating with me? We're friends, no? Gyahaha!"

Why someone I hate so much appear in my eyes?!

"Yesterday's match was amazing, no? The Nishizumi-style will always be the strongest after all! Gyahaha!"

And dude, what is with her laugh?!

"Why don't you sit down? Come on, I don't bite!"

"Y-yeah... Haha..." I ended up sitting down with her on that bench. She keeps on drinking and drinking until she sips the air of the bottle and crushes it with her might. She throws it away and it scores to a recyling bin.

"Yatta! My hit rate is 120% after all!" She said. And dude, I almost burst into laugh for that catchphrase. How are you supposed to shoot a nonexsisting target?!

But well... "N-nice shot." I'll try to be friendly. I'm not the kind of person to hold a grudge that much onto people. I sip my beans and we sit in silence.

"Are those red bean soup?" Chouno asked.

"Yeah..."

"You wanna try it?"

"*nod* Sure!" *sip*

This is awkwaaaaaard!! From all people, I can't even talk well to Chouno. Why... Just why...

"Hey, Sasagawa-kun..." She started talking. "...remember that imitating trick you do before?*"

*BFFFFFFFF* *cough* *cough* *cough* I burst my beans. From this silence, how come she's making it more awkward?!

"You know, when you unwear your glasses and you say my catchphrase?"

"Y-yeah... Sorry about it, I didn't mean to-..."

"Thanks for the trick, I always laugh at myself that I look that stupid when saying it! Gyahaha!" She leans back on the bench and spread her arms wider.

"E-eh?... What do you mean?..."

"I'm saying that I'm enjoying it! I love your trick! You should do it more often."

"Thanks... Ahaha..." Eh? She's not mad at me?

"I always think that I'm really cool when saying it, well you know, because I'm an instructure I need to care for my image. But I didn't think my friends would laught at it." She said, smiling. But I can see her clenches her eyes.

"So, I want to thank you, that, I now can see myself better in the mirror." She looks at me in the eyes, with mixed up feeling entering my mind from hers.

"Uh-uhmm..."

"It's ok, it's ok! After all, I feel like I'm looking at a mirror when we see eachother like this. Gyahaha!"

This feeling... She never show me that smile. Or maybe, she never show anyone such emotion. This is the first. This is... This... is her. But why do I feel like I am a mirror, to her emotion as well?...

I...

"Well, I need to report to the base now. See you later, Sasagawa-kun!"

I don't know.

* from the Motto Love Love Sakusen


End file.
